4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 15:4-6
Race of Faith
The Apostle Paul is fond of equating the Christian faith with running a race. A theme also used by the author of Hebrews. Experience teaches us that this race we are in much more closely resembles a marathon than a sprint. Accordingly, perseverance is more of a necessity than speed. I know your thinking of Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare. Slow and steady wins the race. But my focus today isn’t so much about winning the race. Rather I want to encourage you to finish the race. If you want to think of yourself as a tortoise that’s fine. Just keep your eye on the finish line and keep moving on. To do so we need endurance and encouragement. And God gives us each.
Endurance and Encouragement
In today’s passage, Paul tells us that the things written in former days were for our edification. As we run the race of Faith, the Scriptures, which definitely includes the Old Testament, were written to give us endurance and encouragement. This combination breeds hope. Something we all need. It is hard to run when the winds are blowing hard and the rains are pelting us. We like to run in calm weather and mild temperatures, but that isn’t up to us. Every time we think we hit our stride, we step into a pothole. A marathon is a long run. We must be prepared, physically and mentally. We must have the resolve to push on regardless of the pains. As we run the race we will see people drop out. Perhaps some of them will be our siblings or close friends. Often they will encourage us to quit as well, telling us it is not worth it. But it is.
God’s Faithfulness
As you think back on the course you’ve run so far, how many obstacles have you had to overcome? Where did you find your source of strength to go on with the race? I am confident your hope was rooted in Truth. Our course is lined with other Saints who encourage us and support us. They do so by reminding us of God’s faithfulness to His children. We look at the trial and temptations of Abraham, Moses, Job, David, Daniel, Habakkuk, etc. and we see how God was so faithful. We read Isaiah, Jeremiah and the authors of the New Testament and we are edified by the instructions and exhortations that equip us to live godly lives in a fallen world. Every time Satan tries to trip us up, God’s Word has an answer to give us hope.
Strength Renewed
As Paul points out, not only do the scriptures give us endurance and encouragement, but so does God Himself. We know that God’s Word is alive and it serves as the means for Him to impart His endurance and encouragement. Accordingly, this places the character of God as the ultimate basis of our hope as we run the Christian race. In Isaiah chapter forty, the character of God is exalted. At the conclusion of this chapter, we see some of the encouragement Paul was referring to.
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31
Spirit of Unity
Please read Isaiah chapter forty in its entirety. While you are at it you might want to read Job chapters thirty-eight through forty-two. Our God of endurance and encouragement is more than sufficient to see that we finish the race. But He is also concerned with the how. He wants us to run the race in a spirit of unity. There is no room in the Christian life for prejudices. Competitions and comparisons are carnal. John the Baptist was not in competition with Jesus, and neither were Apollos or Peter. Christ is not divided. And neither is the glory of God. With Christ as our example, we are to persevere in the Father’s will for the Father’s glory. We want to finish the race so we can “cast our crowns” at His feet. Our God of endurance and encouragement wants us to continue the race in harmony so we can glorify Him with one voice.
Convictions are important, but let’s not allow them to become a stumbling block to ourselves or our fellow Christians. Paul began Romans chapter fifteen by encouraging the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak. He also encourages us to please our neighbors and edify them. And then he pointed out that Christ is our example in this regard. Rather than pleasing Himself, He took our reproaches. In this race we are in, we not only have the endurance and encouragement of God, we also have the example of Christ.
Let us Run
Are you feeling tired in your faith? Do you ever feel like dropping out? If you don’t, others do. As you make your way to the finish line encourage your brothers and sisters in the faith to press on. If they have fallen, lift them up. If they are limping, let them lean on you. Remind them to keep their eyes on God. And, if you see the hare along the way you might want to wake him up and encourage him to find a steady pace. The more that cross the finish line the better.
Do you suppose if we live in harmony we will sing in harmony? There is only one way to find out. Keep looking to our God of endurance and encouragement.
…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. – Hebrews 12:1b